


Seconds In; Seconds Out

by VixenRose1996



Category: ReBoot (TV)
Genre: Brothers, Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/M, Found Family, Gen, This gets progressively sadder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25063171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VixenRose1996/pseuds/VixenRose1996
Summary: Hard as it was to believe, most of Dot and Bob's fights were about Enzo.-Or-A collection of drabbles about the relationship between Mainframe's Guardian and the little sprite he tried and failed to protect.
Relationships: AndrAIa/Enzo Matrix, Bob/Dot Matrix (ReBoot), Enzo Matrix & Bob (ReBoot)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 10





	1. It All Starts With a Tiff

**Author's Note:**

> Have been rewatching one of my old favorite shows now that it is on Amazon Prime and I just hand to write something.

"C'mon, Dot, what is Enzo going to do at some stuffy business meeting? He's just a little kid!"

"It is a good opportunity for him to think about his future, Bob; Enzo can meet the kind of sprites and binomes that will help him get the kind of connections he needs to succeed in the future! I can't _believe_ you're making me out to the bad guy just for wanting my little brother to have a good life!"

Bob let out a frustrated groan, "Enzo _has_ a good life, Dot, and he _wants_ to go circuit racing tomorrow, not sit around and listen to you hob-nob with a bunch of other business owners! I don't get why you won't let me take him!"

"I _don't_ have to explain myself to you," Mainframe's most successful buisness-sprite snapped back, "and I don't have to _let_ you take him anywhere. You have no say in his life; you are _not_ his brother and you are _not_ his parent!"

From his place hidden behind the restaurant counter, Enzo flinch and clamped his hands down over his ears tight as he could. Cecile cast him an uncharacteristically sympathetic look before going back to his buisness and, User, Enzo wished that he never mentioned anything. Yeah, the young sprite had brought up not wanting to go to Dot's dumb business meeting in front of Bob hoping the guardian would back him up, but he never imagined the argument would blow up so badly!

Perhaps he should have though... 

Hard as it was to believe, most of Dot and Bob's fights were about Enzo -about him wandering the city alone (not alone, Enzo always had Frisket with him and that dog was just about the best protection any spite could ask for), about how he should spend his, about how many sweets he could eat, about the kind of movies he could see, and, of course, about the Games. Dot was never exactly shy about her belief that Bob wasn't doing enough to keep Enzo out of the Games, even if she was usually gentler about it. 

Still, Bob had slotted himself into their little family of only two - Enzo remembered when they were three, back before Dad blew up the other city with his stupid experiment, but he couldn't remember being a family of four; unlike for Dot, 'Mom' had only ever been the name given to a handful of old pictures- so easily, almost making it whole once more. To be told he had no place in it just seemed horribly cruel of his big sister.

The Guardian reeled back at Dot's words, he couldn't have been more hurt by Megabyte knocking his processors out. That little sprite meant a whole gigabyte- no, a whole _terabyte_ to him; he loved the kid! There was a rush of anger and, before Bob could stop himself, he spat out a vicious, "Yeah, well neither are _you!_ "

There was an audible gasp from the diner spectators and Dot looked as if she'd been hit, tears welling up in her beautiful violet eyes. Bob immediately regretted everything, "I-"

"Get out!" Dot shrieked, pointing at the diner door. "Get out! Get out _right now!_ "

Bob raised his hands and attempted to pacify the enraged sprite. "Dot, I-"

"Shut up, Bob! I cannot believe you would say something like that! You-"

" _Stop it!_ Both of you!" Enzo yelled, popping up from behind the counter and startling the pair of adults. "I _hate_ it when you guys get like this! I hate it when you guys _fight!_ So... just stop it!"

Dot and Bob both looked at him, surprised by his outburst. "Oh, Enzo," Dot said, going to hug him, "we weren't fighting about you. We were just-"

"Yes, you _were!_ Stop treating me like I'm an idiot!" he snapped, pulling away from his big sister. Enzo hopped over that countertop and, ignoring the calls for him to wait, rushed out of the diner. Frisket's perked up from his afternoon nap when Enzo rushed by and the dog was up instantly, chasing after him. 

Enzo ran until he couldn't run anymore, randomly twisting through the streets and alleyways of Mainframe, determine to throw off any pursuers. Eventually, he ran deep into the outskirts of a park, falling to his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. 

Frisket whined and nosed at Enzo's teary face, trying to comfort it with a thorough licking. 

"I'm- I'm okay, boy," he panted, weakly patting the feral pooch on the head. He slumped against the base of a tree and sighed, thinking of the chewing out Dot was going to give him when Enzo got home. 

"Maybe I just won't go back," he declared to Frisket, who cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Yeah! How about you and I go on the run? We'll both be ferals, living on the streets and off our wits! How does that sound?"

The dog only huffed and plopped himself down on the ground next to Enzo, resting his head on the little sprite's knee.

_'Yeah, that sounds about right,'_ Enzo though, letting his head fall back against the trunk of the tree and pulling the bill of his baseball cap down, closing his eyes. 

* * *

"How could Enzo have gotten so far so quickly?" Bob wondered exasperated as he scanned the streets from up high on his zip-board. "He has tiny little legs!"

"Well, you know better than anyone how much energy he has." Dot replied half-heartedly. "We need to find him; it'll be getting dark soon and it is not safe for Enzo to be out alone like this."

"I agree but, you know, Enzo is stronger than you think. You don't need to try and control every nanosecond of his life."

Dot shot the Guardian a withering glare, "I'm just trying to- Oh, _never mind!_ ” She sighed and shook her head, her shoulders slumping, "I don't want to fight right now."

"Me neither," Bob agreed with a sigh of his own; he never wanted to fight with Dot. "Especially since that is how we got into this situation in the first place."

"It's just... Enzo is the only family; I can't lose him," Dot pleaded, sounding desperate for him to understand. 

And Bob did. 

"I know you just want to protect him," he soothed, "and you know that I'd sooner delete myself than let Enzo get hurt. But, Dot, Enzo is just a little sprite and he needs some time to be one, especially considering everything he's been through. It's not fair that you've had to become a parent to your little brother but you've got to remember that sometimes he needs his big sister, not a mother."

"I know; you're right," the elder Matrix sibling grumbled. 

Bob turned his head to hide his surprise. It wasn't often Dot admitted to being wrong; he and Enzo often joked that it went against her programming. Still, he knew a peace offering when he heard one. "And _you're_ right about me not having the authority to make plans with Enzo without your say-so. I shouldn't have promised to take him circuit racing without asking you first."

A small smile broke through the sadness on Dot's face and she gave him a warm look. "I really do appreciate all the time you spend with Enzo; he's really has been much happier since you've been around."

"No problem, it's my pleasure."

And it was. Exhausting as it could sometimes be, Bob loved spending time with Enzo. He'd never had a younger brother or nephew and definitely didn't have a son; so, strange as it was at first to step into the role of an older male role model, he was happy to do it. 

"Look, let's make a deal right now," Dot offered. "Chances are we're going to eventually fight again, so let's make a promise to do it in front of Enzo."

"Deal!" Bob agreed automatically. "He shouldn't have to see that, it always makes him think that it is his fault."

"I just hope we can convince him that it isn't true."

* * *

" _GRRRRRrrrrrrr!_ "

It wasn't particularly surprising that Frisket started immediately growling at Bob when the found him and a sleeping Enzo curled up under a tree, the dog had never made his dislike and distrust of Bob a secret. But it _was_ surprising when he started growling at Dot; the two had always had a relationship that could best be described as 'professional respect.' Frisket was never aggressive or disobedient toward the lady sprite, less she might banish him from Enzo's side, but he was never particularly affectionate toward her either. 

The dog's growling had them both stepping back, deciding that the best course of action would be to wake up the only one Frisket would actually listen to.

"Enzo? Enzo?" Dot called softly, causing the young sprite to stir. 

"Donwannagotoschoo," he grumbled.

Bob snickered, "You don't have to, buddy. I'm taking you circuit racing, remember? But you got to get up right now so we won't be late."

The words had there intended effect... arguably _too_ well. 

Enzo was a blur as he, ever still half-asleep, popped up and tackled his hero.

"You mean it, Bob, really? Alphanumeric! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! Let's-" the young sprite cut himself off, blinking as he looked around and seemed to finally realize what was going on. 

"How basic," he grumbled, rolling off of Bob and slumping down on the ground. Enzo peeked up at Dot through his bangs, "I guess I'm sorry for running off like that. So how long am I grounded for?"

"Oh, Enzo," his older sister cooed, pulling him into a surprising embrace. "You're _not_ in trouble, sweetie, and you have _nothing_ to apologize for. If anything, _I_ need to apologize -I got so caught up in wanting to make sure you had the opportunity to do anything you wanted in the future that I forgot that you should be able to enjoy your present."

"And _I_ need to apologize for making promises that I wasn't sure I could keep," Bob added. "That wasn't fair to either of us."

"And we both need to apologize for blowing up right in front of you, Enzo," Dot continued. "You shouldn't have had to see that."

"So, how about we make you a deal?" the Guardian offered. "We promise to not fight in front of you-"

"Again," Enzo grumbled, still not sure he was ready to forgive them. 

"Right, we promise to not fight in from of you again while you accept our apologies and promise not run off again then we can spend the rest of the night watching movies and eating snacks?"

"Bob..." Dot started; then, when two pairs of pleading eyes turned to her, she smiled and finished with, "that sounds like a great idea."

"Well..." Enzo mulled it over, secretly getting a kick out of the anxiety playing across both Dot and Bob's faces. "Yeah, I _guess_ I can agree to those terms."

"Alright!" the Guardian cheered, pulling both Enzo and Dot into a tight hug. 

* * *

Later that night, wedged tight and warm in-between Dot and Bob on the couch as their third film played in the background, Enzo tucked his head into Bob's chest and felt, just for a moment, that everything would end up being alright. 

  
  
  



	2. When Heart and Mind Collide

Nanosecond—minute

Second – hour

Minute – day

Hour – Month

Cycle - Year

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright, Enzo?" Bob asked, holding the young sprite by the shoulders as he gave his young friend another thorough once over. "Are you sure you're not hurt? The first trip through a portal can do funny things to your system."

"I'm _fine_ , Bob," Enzo said, rolling his eyes with a fond sort of exasperation, "and _you're_ starting to sound like Dot."

"And what is so wrong with sounding like me?" his older sister asked, glancing up from where she was talking with one of Mainframe's generals and turning to the Guardian. "What do you think, Bob?"

"Well... I don't see any damage to his code and Glitch didn't pick anything up-," Bob said slowly, rubbing his chin. 

"Yes!"

"-But I still think Phong should check him over, just to be sure."

Dot gave a satisfied nod, "Good idea."

"Aw, come on!" Enzo groaned, "I feel _fine_ , guys! No, I feel _alphanumeric!_ I got to see the supercomputer and it was amazing, no harm done!"

"Then how about just humoring us, eh Enzo?" Bob asked, ruffling the young sprite's hair and dislodging his cap. "For me?"

"And me?" Dot chimed in, a knowing look on her lovely face.

Enzo looked between the two of them for a long nanosecond before giving a dramatic sigh, throwing his arms up. "Okay, I _guess_ I'll go!"

* * *

The young Guardian hated sitting around and waiting for just about anything; anxiously, he bounced his leg, the sole of his boot tapping against the smooth floor of the Principal Office as he stared at the door to Phong's private room where the System Administrator and the little sprite had vanished into over a second ago. 

The door creaked open and his heart jumped, only for it to fall somewhat when it was Dot that emerged. Still, he forced a smile of greeting.

"Bob?" she started. "I just wanted to say-"

"Please don't start, Dot," the Guardian cut her off, slumping down on the uncomfortable bench he was seated on. "Nothing you could say would make me feel worse about what happened."

To Bob's surprise, the Lady Sprite sat down next to him and took his hand. "I was just going to say thank you for getting Enzo to agree to have Phong check him over; User knows he would have fought me the entire way if I tried."

The Guardian sometimes wondered if Dot got jealous of Enzo's puppy-like devotion to him; it was plain to see that young sprite adored and worshipped his older sister, of course, but it was different between him and Bob. He knew the young sprite would do just about anything Bob asked without question -a level of trust Bob took to heart and was still sometimes uneasy about. 

"Well, it was the least I could do," Bob scoffed to himself, "especially since I'm the reason that ended up happening to little Enzo."

"Oh, Bob, we both know that Enzo is going to do what he is going to do -no matter what either of us does or says," Dot comforted, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand. "He is just like... just like Mom was, hard-heading and determined to do what he thinks is right."

Bob froze; Dot never talked about her mother, her father would come up once in a blue hour or so, but never for long. He shifted, unsure of what to say and eventually deciding on, "Enzo is a brave little sprite; I can't wait to see how tough he's going to be in a few cycles when he's all grown up."

Then he added in the safety of his own mind, _'He'd make a good guardian.'_

It was a horrible, traitorous though, one Dot would surely delete him for voicing and one Bob hadn't allowed to fully take shape until now. It made sense though; if Enzo was insistent on rushing into Games than wouldn't it be better for him to have the proper training? Glitch had already displayed a fondness for the young sprite and...

"Oh, don't even bring that up," Dot shook her head. "Some minutes it feels like I can barely keep up with Enzo as is. I don't know what I'll do when he's older."

...yet the idea of deliberately putting Enzo in harm way tore Bob up inside and went against every promise he'd ever made to Dot. 

"I really thought I was keeping him out of trouble by telling him to stay behind and patrol," the Guardian admitted with a sad sigh, rubbing his forehead. "But, as it turns out, he ended up in Megabyte's clutches anyway! If there was something wrong with the portal..."

"But there wasn't," Dot emphasized. "I was just as terrified as you but let's just be grateful that the portal worked as intended."

Bob just shook his head, "Sometimes I feel as if I cause you both nothing but harm by hanging around and I-"

Dot turned his face so he was staring right into her beautiful violet eyes. "Hey, don't go thinking like that. You've done so much good for Mainframe and, besides, Enzo needs you... _I_ need you."

The Guardian had always been the sporadic sort of sprite -much to Turbo's unending frustration- and, in that moment, he was seized by the urge to kiss his friend. Though not entirely sure how Dot would react, Bob found himself leaning forward and she wasn't pulling away so maybe-

**_BAM!_ **

They two sprites lept apart, Bob nearly falling right off of the bench, as the office was flung open as Phong and Enzo emerged with the young sprite clutching a large blue lollipop in his hand. 

"I can officially give young Enzo here a clean bill of health," Phong declared happily. "There shouldn't be any lasting side effects... aside from perhaps a strange taste in the mouth for the next couple of minutes."

_'Ha, I remember that,'_ Bob recalled with amusement. _'For six minutes after going through a portal for the first time everything I ate tasted like cheese.'_

"See, I _told_ you all that I was fine," Enzo said, sticking the lollipop in his mouth. 

Phong tutted, "You must not blame them for being worried, little one. They were only looking out for your well-being."

"I know but-"

"Well, how else was I supposed to know that you're alright to play Jet Ball tomorrow?" Bob piped in, cutting off the boy's complaints.

As suspected, the promise of participating in one of his favorite activities with one of his favorite sprites was enough to distract Enzo from his annoyance at being coddled. "Really? Alphanumeric! When are we going, huh Bob?"

"Uh...pretty early?" the Guardian improved, shooting a questioning look towards Dot who just rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be at the diner to get you pretty early so you're going to get a good recharge tonight; it'll be a long minute so you'll want to be fully energized."

"You may regret that," Dot mumbled.

* * *

"Hey, Bob, what did you mean when you said that Megabreath owed you?" 

The Guardian mulled the answer over for a moment before eventually deciding to just be honest. "I saved his life in the Game we were stuck in, figured he'd hate the very idea of being in anyone's debt."

**"YOU _WHAT?_ " ** Enzo shouted, nearly falling from the railing around the diner's parking lot where he'd been balancing on in his shock. Bob nearly swooped up the young sprite but the kid was able to right himself. 

Enzo gave the Guardian a look like he'd grown a second head, "You saved **MEGABYTE?** _WHY?_ "

Bob shifted uncomfortably, suddenly reminded of many debates he'd had with Dixon. "Helping people is in my programming, can't fight that."

"But Megabyte isn't 'people,' he's a _virus!_ He isn't even supposed to _be_ here and he's an absolute aciish-"

"Hey, none of that kind of language!" Bob cut Enzo off with a playful hand over his mouth. "What would Dot say if she heard you saying those words?"

Then he crouched down and took the small sprite by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I know it may not seem like it sometimes but no one is completely bad, even Megabyte. After all, he _did_ give you that awesome guitar for your birthday, right?"

Of course, he and Dot had immediately taken that guitar once Enzo had gone to bed and replaced it with an identical one they were certain was safe but the younger Matrix didn't know that. 

"Yeah, like _that_ makes up for everything else," Enzo scoffed. "Sorry, Bob, but Megabarf is 100% trouble and nothing will ever convince me otherwise."

* * *

Next Chapter: Contrary to what Dot may think, Bob wanted Enzo to stay a little sprite for a long as possible. 


	3. Big Bad Mood

"Hey there, Enzo," Bob greeted cheerfully, clapping his young friend on the shoulder. "How's it processing?"

"Hi, Bob," the little sprite replied glumly, eyes not leaving the datapad he was unenthusiastically tapping at. "Dot isn't here, she had a meeting with Al."

The Guardian frowned at the lack of response, _'This funk of Enzo's has been going on for almost three minutes now; I hope he doesn't have a bug.'_

Despite his concern, he plastered on a grin and slid into the booth bench across from his friend. "Well, if your sister isn't here to stop us than how about we sneak away and go do some circuit racing? We should be able to get back before Dot does but I volunteer to take the blame if we get caught."

To Bob's dismay, the little sprite didn't even look up at him. "Nah, I've got homework to finish."

 _'This is worse than I thought,'_ the Guardian wince, alarmed. "Uh… Right! Your education is obviously more important that circuit racing... but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves a little. How about some ice cream? I know Dot doesn't like you spoiling your dinner but what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

Without waiting for a response, Bob caught Cecile's eye and tried to wave him over... only to be promptly ignored. "Huh, I guess he's busy."

"That's alright," Enzo shrugged, "I'm not in the mood for ice cream."

"Oh... okay."

An awkward silence lapsed between the two, mostly on Bob's end -Enzo was still in his own little world, tap-tap-tapping away at the datapad. The tension was finally broken when the little spite paused in his tapping, finger hovering over the screen with a confused look on his face.

Bob took his chance, "Anything I can help with?"

Then he quickly added, "I know you're top of your class and everything but the coursework at the Guardian Academy covered just about every topic imaginable, it would be nice to finally use some of it."

Those words **_FINALLY_ **got a reaction out of the smaller sprite. Enzo's eyes flicked up and he put his datapad down. "Really," he asked cautiously, "like what?"

At first, Bob didn't answer -he had promised Dot he wouldn't tell Enzo any more stories of the supercomputer- but, considering the alternative was more unhappy silence... 

"Well, first off, as new cadets learned about-"

**WARNING, INCOMING GAME!**

Everyone in the diner froze as the System Voice thundered through Mainframe; this tension broke as panic broke out binomes nervously looking around. Bob looked out the window, spotting the enormous ominous for a Game Cube dropping down from the sky in the distance. 

"Everyone, it's okay! You'll be safe here," he stood and declared. Then, deciding not to even both with the door, Bob through the diner window open and went to jump out.

"Bob?"

The Guardian turned to see Enzo staring up at him with a hopeful pair of violet eyes. He forced another smile, reaching around to cup the back of the little sprite's neck and comfortingly rubbing his thumb into the nape of his neck. "Say here, Enzo. I'll be back soon."

* * *

Turn-based strategy games took **_FOREVER_ **to win. Even if Game-Time moved faster than System-Time, it was still annoying late when Bob finally made his way back to the now-closed diner; he even considered not going back at all and just swinging over early tomorrow but he was tired and Dot never minded him crashing on the couch. 

_'Plus, I can talk with Enzo in the morning,'_ Bob though, carefully stepping around a sleeping Frisket and unlocked the diner's back door with the spare key he'd been given. _‘Maybe I can figure out what is bothering him.’_

The restaurant was dark and empty, everything cleaned and the stools put up on the countertop. Using the hidden basement door, he fumbled through the dark toward the living room, eyes already closing on his own.

Something slammed into his chest and the Guardian fell backward, eyes shooting open. "Gli-"

"Bob?" Dot sleepily blinked at him, as light poured from her bedroom. "What are you doing here so late?"

The Guardian valiantly kept from staring at the pair of smooth legs that peeked out from under Dot's nightgown, instead giving a shrug and awkward half-smile. "I was hoping to borrow your couch."

To his surprise, Dot just giggled. "There is a little problem with that, come look."

Bemused, Bob followed Dot to the living room couch, peeking over the back of it to see Enzo in his pajamas curled up and fast asleep. 

" _Awww,_ how cute," he cooed.

Dot giggled again, "He was determined to wait up for you but ended up falling asleep, didn't want to wake him up."

"I'll take him to his room," Bob offered. "You should get some sleep."

With a yawn, the lady sprite nodded and headed back towards her room. "See you in the morning, Bob."

Bob waited until her bedroom door clicked shut and started the process of gently gathering up the sleeping young sprite in his arms, carrying the kid off towards his room.

"Bbb," Enzo mumbled as his eyelids started to flicker, head lolling against the Guardian's shoulder. "Isthayou?"

"Yep, it's me," he whispered back, nudging the door to Enzo's bedroom open with his foot. 

"Did you beat the game?"

"Yeah," Bob nodded, setting the little sprite down on his bed. "No problem at all."

Enzo gave a wobbly little nod, "That's good, I wish I could have helped you though."

 _'So that's it,'_ he thought. A familiar warm rush of affection came of Bob and he pulled Enzo in for a tight hug. "You will eventually but, for now, do me a favor and stay a little sprite for just a bit longer."

* * *

Next Chapter: Bob wasn't a father but, seeing Enzo wearing his cadet uniform for the first time, he thinks that he has an idea of what it feels like. 


	4. Wars in the Web & in the Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bob wasn't a father but, seeing Enzo wearing his cadet uniform for the first time, he thinks that he has an idea of what it feels like.

Nanosecond—minute

Second – hour

Minute – day

Hour – Month

Cycle - Year

* * *

They say desperate times call for desperate measures and, User, was Bob never regret more to learn an old saying was true. 

"Dot, I need to talk to you about something."

"Uh, sure, Bob. What do you need?" The lady sprite looked up from her work, undoubtedly confused as to why he'd be pulling her away during this crucial time. Still, Dot didn't resist when Bob put his hand on her elbow and led her away to someplace private. 

There was little in the entire web that Bob would like to do less than have this conversation, but with the...  _ current issues _ Mainframe was facing, it couldn't be put off any longer. Even so, he had to fight the urge to hang his head in shame for what he was about to ask.

"I want to... I want to ask your permission to make Enzo a Guardian."

Dot's eyes went wide, immediately sad and angry at the same time. "What?  _ No!  _ How could you ask that? How could you even  _ suggest  _ that?"

"You think  _ I'm _ happy about this?" he snapped back, surprised by his own anger. "You think I'm  _ happy  _ about putting Enzo in danger?"

"I- No, of course not," Dot sighed, shaking her head. "It's just... I wanted him to stay a small sprite for as long as possible."

"Yeah, me too," Bob agreed sadly. "But with everything that has been happening these past hours, we can't just keep hoping Enzo will be okay in the end. At least with Guardian code, he'll have a better chance of surviving whatever is thrown at him. And if anything were to ever happen to me or, User forbid, him than-"

" _ Shhh _ ," Dot cut him off with a finger pressed to his lips. "Let's not even consider that right now. We've beaten everything we've faced before and we'll beat these Web Creatures too. You just... come back to me, alright? Both of you."

Despite everything, a smile split across Bob's face and he nodded. "I will, Dot. That is a promise."

* * *

Even with Dot's permission and even though this was probably a good idea overall, it still felt like Bob was about to do something horribly selfish and unwise. Enzo was a smart, tough little sprite, yes, but he was still three whole cycles younger than Bob had been when he became a cadet. 

_ 'This is just for now,'  _ Bob attempted to reassure himself.  _ 'Enzo doesn't have officially start training yet; the Guardian Academy probably wouldn't even take him at this age.' _

For a nanosecond, Bob allowed himself a brief reprieve from the grim circumstances to imagine Turbo dealing with a hyper-active little Enzo bouncing off the walls and getting into trouble, especially if he somehow smuggled Frisket along. 

_ 'And he always said I was bad,'  _ the Guardian thought with a smile as he came upon Enzo and AndrAIa.

As he got closer, Bob could hear Enzo about to admit to AndrAIa that he wasn't a Guardian and let out an amused chuckle. Honestly, he thought the entire thing was adorable. Enzo had his first crush and though Bob didn't consider himself to be an expert on all things romance, he was pretty darn sure that AndrAIa returned it. 

Dot was untrusting of the little Game Spite when she first arrived in their lives -though she'd done her best to hide it- and while Bob had his suspicions too, it had almost immediately become apparent that AndrAIa was absolutely devoted to Enzo and was ready to defend him at a moment's notice. Her protectiveness was pretty cute... even if it resulted in her almost shooting Cecil with her wrist crossbow after he'd accidentally bumped into and knocked Enzo over. 

That had been their first meeting and Cecil still avoided the Game Sprite whenever possible.

* * *

Emergency Code Nine-Five-One-Zero was something cadets were taught their very last day at the Academy; it was the last thing they learned right before graduation and only after having it repeatedly stressed to that it was only to ever be used to times of absolute crisis when all other options had been exhausted. Blessed few Guardians ever had to use it and Bob certainly never expected to be one of them. 

Yet, here he was. 

"Should anything happen to me, I am charging you with the defense of this system," he said as Enzo and AndrAIa both marveled at the little sprite's brand new blue and gold First Level uniform. 

Bob wasn't a father but, seeing Enzo wearing his cadet uniform for the first time, he thinks that he has an idea of what it feels like. There was pride in how much the young sprite had grown... but there was also sadness; even though he knew it was just natural the small sprite compiled up, Bob would miss his little buddy. There was also fear -the bigger Enzo got the further away he would go and harder it would be for Bob to protect him.

Also, when this was all fixed, Bob was  _ sooooo  _ going to tease Dot about being able to get Enzo to wear new clothes; she always complained about how hard the kid fought her when it came to clothes shopping. 

_ 'When this was all fixed...' _

The Guardian smoothed a hand over Enzo's hair, fighting the urge to pull the kid into a tight hug -didn't want to embarrass him in front of AndrAIa after all. There was a sinking feeling in Bob's gut and part of him wanted to take it all back already; Enzo wasn't ready for this kind of responsibility and, quite frankly, Bob (or Dot) wasn't ready to put all of that on the little sprite. 

Bob closed his eyes and forced those thoughts away. They'll defeat the Web Creatures. They'll save Mainframe. He'll deal with Turbo and the other Guardians. He'll find a way to fix Megabyte and Hexdemicmal. He'll confess his feelings to Dot. He'll get Frisket to finally trust him. He'll make sure Enzo will be ready for the Academy when the time comes. He'll protect his friends, defend their hopes and dreams. 

Bob would mend and defend, as always. 

_ 'I'll all be okay.' _

* * *

As it turns out, being shot out into the net was killer on your systems and, no matter how hard Bob pounded on the glass door of the small pod, he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. Falling forward, he gave one last desperate, pleading look at Mainframe far bellow...

His friends...

His family...

His home...

Everyone and everything he loved...

Bob had passed every class in the Academy with flying colors. He graduated with the highest of Honors. Everyone had excepted great things out of him. 

And he had failed. 

_ 'I am so sorry.' _

* * *

Next Chapter: Guns. Women. Booze. All little sprites grew up, Bob knew this. But he never expected to have to deal with his little Enzo growing up so big, so fast, or so… different. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I warned you guys this was going to get sadder...


	5. What Happens After the End?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guns. Women. Booze. All little sprites grew up, Bob knew this. But he never expected to have to deal with his little Enzo growing up so big, so fast, or so… different.

Nanosecond—minute

Second – hour

Minute – day

Hour – Month

Cycle - Year

* * *

Every sprite and binome in Mainframe had been given a second chance and, of course, it was time to party. Though the epicenter was Dot's diner, the celebration spanned entire city blocks as music, food, and drinks flowed free through the processors of every citizen and visitor. Joy filled the air; wounds healed, peace restored, and family and friends reunited... with a few surprises, it seemed.

"THAT is _MATRIX?_ " Ray asked, staring in confusion -Bob couldn't see his eyes, obviously, but, if he could, he'd bet money that they were bugging out of Ray's skull- at Little Enzo as the small sprite bounced back and forth between tables piled high with treats.

_'It'll be a hassle to put him to bed tonight,'_ the Guardian mused. _'He is going to be running on sugar for minutes.'_

"Yes... No... Kinda?" Dot replied, brow scrunched up in confusion. 

"From what I can tell, the system still had Enzo's real PID on file and a copy of Enzo from back when he was still a kid got created when the city came back online, after the reboot," Mouse explained. "The kid is a backup."

" _Shhhhh_ ," Dot hissed, "Don't call him that. I still haven't told him about... _you know!_ "

Mouse gave her friend a surprised look, "You can't be planning on keeping it a secret! The little guy _needs_ to know!"

"I know, I'm just... waiting for the right time."

Ray faked a coughed, obviously trying to break the tension, and slid an arm around Mouse's waist. "Still, I can't believe they're the same sprite... more or less, I mean. He just seems so-"

_'Young? Cheerful? Innocent?'_ Bob wondered, himself more than a little unnerved by the sharp contrast between his now grown -and he meant _grown_ \- friend and Matrix's far more familiar duplicate. 

"-happy!" Ray finished.

Bob felt himself flinch at the declaration, feeling the word as clearly as if the search engine had just punched him in the face. 

But it was true, it was painfully, brutally true. Matrix... wasn't a happy sprite, that was clear to anyone who spent than a few nanoseconds around him. There were flashes of happiness, true, of joy and comfort and hope.

But those were conditional -when he and Matrix reunited, when he saw Dot for the first time in what must have been nearly a dozen cycles, when everyone was rebooted, etc- and, despite not having been around the Renegade for very long, Bob doubted they were very common. 

"Well, why wouldn't he be? Megabyte is gone and now Mainframe is better than ever," he said, forcing as much cheer into his voice as possible. The somewhat confused looks he got were enough to tell Bob that he was a poor actor. 

"Enzo was the sweet little sprite you'd have ever met, nothing could ever keep him down," Mouse offered up, sweet smile of remembrance on her face. "Smart as a whip too, always wanted to help out."

Ray raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his energy shake. "Wow, the net and the games changed him _that_ much? Poor guy."

Bob gave another flinch, fighting back the urge to snap at Ray to shut his mouth. It didn't matter that he was right, Ray couldn't just go around saying that kind of stuff! Enzo... no, _Matrix_ survived his ordeal and that's all there was to it! None of them had any right to talk behind his back like this!

Biting his tongue, not wanting to cause any fights during this joyful time, Bob looked around the crowds of party-goers and noticed two missing sprites. "Hey, speaking of Matrix, where are he and AndrAIa?"

His words cause the other three to look around too. "Huh, maybe they're outside with Frisket?" Dot wondered.

"My guess is that the lovebirds snuck off for some _alone time_ ," Mouse snickered, waggling her eyebrows and reaching over to playing with the hair at the nape of Ray's neck -seriously, when had **THAT** happened? "Sounds like a good idea, personally."

Mouse had never been much for discretion or, well, shame and Bob felt his face heating up at the display... which wasn't made any better by the feeling of Dot's hand on his thigh under the diner table. 

Bob hopped to his feet, scooting away. "I'm going to go check on En- _Matrix_ , just to make sure everything is okay. From what I hear, the fight he had with Megabyte was pretty brutal and I want to be sure he isn't hiding any injuries."

He'd done that as a little sprite; Enzo had been so desperate appear tough and grown-up that he'd hide or lie about everything from the smallest cuts or bruises to broken fingers or sprained ankles. No matter how often Bob and Dot told him there was nothing heroic about letting yourself deal with pain, he always tried to hide injures. There was no reason to suspect this destructive little habit had changed during all those cycles in the games. 

It took him longer to get to the warehouse that Matrix and AndrAIa set up shop in -Dot had offered to rent them a room in one of the buildings she owned only to be turned down. Privately, Bob thought that neither of them was completely comfortable with the thought of finally settling down- due to being stopped multiple times by various well-wishers and old acquaintances. 

_'It's great to see so many familiar faces, not get me wrong, but this is getting ridiculous,'_ the Guardian thought, ducking through an alleyway to avoid being mobbed. 

Finally arriving at his destination -trying hard not to ponder on it how far into the outskirts of Mainframe it was- and let himself in the side door using Glitch to pop the lock. "Hey, En- Matrix? I saw you left the party and I wanted to check that everything was o- _oh!_ Oh! Oh, User! Sorry!"

Bob whirled around, hand slapped over his eyes and face burning. Behind him, he heard AndrAIa giggle and the tapping of her icon to, hopefully, get her outfit back on. 

"Sorry about that, Bob," the game sprite chuckled, coming around to smooth a hand over his shoulder. "Hopefully we didn't scare you too badly."

"N-no, not at all," the Guardian stuttered, keeping his eyes glued on the ceiling. Looking directly at AndrAIa would have probably caused his head to explode in embarrassment. "I'll just be going."

"Don't worry, there is no need for that," the game sprite waved him off, obvious amusement in her voice. "We were just... finishing up. Plus, I need to go grab a few things before tonight. Feel free to hang around."

_'Finishing up? What does that... Oh, User, that was something I never wanted to imagine.'_ Bob gave an awkward cough, still desperately wishing a Game would drop and nullify him immediately. "Are you sure? I don't mind leaving." 

"Nah," AndrAIa said, flashing a smile and grabbing her zip-board before strutting out of the warehouse. "See you later, Bob. Be nice, Sparky!"

"Yeah, yeah," Matrix grumbled as he sat up from the couch, his own clothes -thankfully- put back into place. AndrAIa being gone left Bob and younger... older(?) sprite alone for one of the first times since they reunited. 

_'User, he's gotten so big!'_ Bob couldn't help but marvel that the physical changes his little buddy had gone through. Now taller than the Guardian by an entire head and broader by half, it was astonishing that Matrix had ever been the kid would follow him around like a puppy. And that was without the vicious change in his personality.

Matrix rubbed the back of his head, gaze averted; clearly, Bob wasn't the only one who felt crushing embarrassment at the situation. "Uh... you want a drink?"

"Sure," Bob nodded, glad to have a neutral subject. 

"ION good?" the Renegade asked, already pulling out the hard liquor bottle and two glasses from a small minifridge. 

Bob shifted, "How about some juice or water?"

"We got water."

So that left the Guardian to sip his water in awkward silence as he watched Matrix down three ION shots in rapid succession. "Sooooo, sorry about all of-"

" _Let's_ not talk about it," Matrix cut him off, a small blush coloring his cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah... that's probably for the best," Bob admitted, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "But, ah, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you been together?"

"If you're about to give me a speech about what happens when two sprites love each other very much, then you're a bit too late," Matrix commented wryly, smirking against the rim of his fourth shot. 

"...How late?"

Yes, it was a terribly invasive question, but Bob had a pit in his stomach that he either needed confirmation or the comfort of learning he was wrong.

For a nano, it looked the larger sprite wasn't going to answer; the smirk fell away and his gaze turned downward as the soft glow of his electronic eye cast shadows against the panes of Matrix's face in the dim light of the warehouse. 

"We were young... probably _too_ young. But we both just wanted to feel, I don't know, something different, something that wasn't fear or anger or disappointment or despair," Matrix explained, giving a surprisingly helpless shrug. Catching the look on Bob's face, he sat up straighter and the Renegade's face turned firm. "I don't regret it though, never have and never will. Maybe it would have been better to wait and, under different circumstances, AndrAIa and I would have, but... Look, no matter how bad things got, we could always find comfort in each other."

That was probably the most Bob had heard Matrix say in one go since they reunited -another steep difference from the motormouthed little sprite he'd once been- and under most circumstances that would have made him happy but, honestly, every word just broke his heart. 

Matrix looked away, rubbing his thumb over the muzzle of Gun weapon in what must have been an act of self-soothing that a dozen cycles of near-constant combat had beaten into him; the moment of emotional openness had thrown the young man off balance. 

The Guardian's gaze traced the faded scar over his left eye, a constant reminder of both of their failures. Unconsciously, Bob found himself reaching out to touch it, "How-"

Enzo flinched away, leaning back and clutching his weapon tighter. "How else? I screwed up and lost a Game. The worst part was that AndrAIa and Frisket had to suffer for my mistakes."

Bob wanted to say that it wasn't the young sprite's fault and that he was sure neither of them felt that way. But that came out was, "I'm so sorry, Enzo."

"Nothing can change what happened," Enzo said, giving another shrug. "And it's Matrix now."

_'So it is,'_ the Guardian thought sadly, taking in his friend's changes once more and trying desperately to find anything that remained of the happy little sprite he'd adored. 

All little sprites grew up, Bob knew this. But he never expected to have to deal with his little Enzo growing up so big, so fast, or so… different. 

* * *

Next Chapter: Life was so different now, even discounting there being a... second him running around, but who could blame Bob for wanting Matrix to be a little more like his old self?


	6. Another Bob and a Different Opinion

Nanosecond—minute  
Second – hour  
Minute – day  
Hour – Month  
Cycle - Year

* * *

"No, absolutely not," Bob declared. "I refuse to agree to that."

Turbo rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth in frustration, "Bob, the Guardians have been decimated! We're rebuilding as quickly had possible but a bunch of cadets aren't capable of protecting systems. We need trained, proven fighters. And Matrix? I've never seen anything quite like him."

"Thank the User for that," he snapped back, horrified by the very though. "No one should have to go through what he and AndrAIa did."

"Yes, of course," Turbo said quickly. "But that doesn't change the fact Matrix did go through it and his time in the Games left the kid with invaluable experience. We _need_ him!"

"Well, Matrix _needs_ to rest and heal from everything that's happened to him," Bob argued. He couldn't believe his former mentor's nerve! Daemon had only _just_ been defeat; now was the time for recovery and relaxation but Turbo was already trying to drag on of his friends into another combat situation?

"Now, let's not be too hasty. After all, it's not really our decision."

Bob felt the urge to roll his eyes as his... other self cut into the argument. Ever since his copy had arrived, the two had been tip-toeing around each other, both unsure of what was going on.

Other Bob cleared his through and continued, "It's understandable that you're desperate, Turbo. We never know when the next major threat will pop up and there are still a lot of systems that need to be protected. _However_ ,-" he added quickly, noticing Bob was opening his mouth to cut in, "I'm not so sure that Matrix would be the best choice for helping you with that. He is undoubtedly strong and skilled, no one is arguing that, but he's not exactly the most... stable of sprites."

The terminology hurt to hear but it was true. Matrix would flinch and pull his gun at an unexpected noise or someone surprising him with a touch. AndrAIa mentioned that he didn't sleep well most night. He drank far too much for anyone's liking. He was ruthless in the games, his former childlike glee at being allowed to help save the day replace by a manic satisfaction at winning. 

_'And then there is the little matter of those 'simulations' he's been running for himself in Lost Angles. I really need to talk to him about that. Every time I try to get him to sit down and speak with me, I get brushed off,'_ Bob thought. _'I'm going to have to corner him; Matrix won't like that.'_

"But... as I said, it really isn't our choice," Other Bob continued, slow and careful. "Matrix deserves to be given the opportunity, no matter what I... what we think. Maybe... maybe protecting other systems or even just helping to train cadets will give him some peace? I can't imagine he is adjusting to life without the constant threat of Megabyte or Daemon very well."

He wasn't. After spending so long fighting for his life, the idea of going for a walk in the park or sitting down to enjoy a meal or even just sleeping in had become completely foreign to the Renegade.

And maybe Bob's doppelganger was right; maybe having a new purpose in life would give Matrix something to ground him, make him feel useful. But, damnit, life was so different now, even discounting there being a... second him running around, but who could blame Bob for wanting Matrix to be a little more like his old self? Was it really so awful that he wanted to put those terrible events of the recent past behind them and settle down? 

"Bob, you trusted the kid enough to make him a cadet once. Why are you so against Matrix being a Guardian now?" Turbo asked, a combination of frustration and desperation creeping into his voice. 

"I made Enzo a Guardian because Mainframe was in crisis! It was decision I made in desperation!" 

Other Bob gave him a strange look, "Are you saying that you regret it? That you think it was a mistake?"

"Of course I regret it," he snapped back. "Just look at him!"

He heard Turbo sharply inhale and Other Bob's eyes slid over Bob's shoulder, eyebrows raising. He turned around and his stomach plummeted at the look on Matrix's face -a sickening combination of shame, betrayal, and heartbreak. 

"Enzo, I-"

Matrix's face snapped back to its usual steely blankness. "Phong has some new tests he wants to run, sent me to get you both."

"Great, thanks for the heads up," Other Bob said, voice filled with obvious fake cheer.

With a curt nod, the Renegade turned on his heel and disappeared down the hall. Bob watched him go, too much of a coward to try and stop the angry, damaged young man who was once his closest friend.

* * *

Next Chapter: The Hunt was on and now it was over; Matrix had ensured that. But what was the cost?


	7. To Hunt for Comfort

Nanosecond—minute  
Second – hour  
Minute – day  
Hour – Month  
Cycle - Year

* * *

Seated on the hospital bench, Bob gnawed on his thumbnail and bounced his leg nervously. His eyes were focused on the door in front of him, the door to the operating theater. Around him, everyone else was silently doing their best to not break down. 

Dot sat beside him, crossing and uncrossing her legs and folded and unfolded her hands as she chewed on her own tongue. When her hands were clasped together, she squeezed them so tightly that her knuckles were pale. For a while, she'd been trying to look over damage reports on her datapad but Dot's eyes kept sliding from the screen back to the door in front of them. 

AndrAIa had folded into a tight little ball against the wall next to the surgery door, arms wrapped tightly around herself. There was an empty paper cup of lukewarm, tasteless hospital hot chocolate crumpled up in her fist. Bob had brought the drink to her in an attempted olive branch -he had wanted to comfort the Game Sprite, to reassure her that everything would be alright- but AndrAIa had responded to his presence with a single silent, icy glare. 

It hurt, but Bob got the message. He set the cup down beside her and went to sit back down on the bench. 

"Would you stop that! You're going to wear a ditch into the floor," Dot snapped at Phong, who'd spent the last hour 'pacing' up and down the hallway, her nerves having finally given way. Then she turned on Bob, grabbing his bouncing knee and holding it down. "And cut that out! It's driving me nuts!"

The strength of her glare was both surprising and not surprising. After all, it was Bob's fault that they were all there. 

"Apologies, my child," the System Administrator soothed, rolling over and taking one of Dot's hands in his so he could give it a reassuring squeeze. "It was not my intention to unsettle you."

At Phong's gentle words, Dot nearly broke down into tears. She all but collapsed in on herself, "Oh, I'm sorry, Phong... Bob. I didn't mean to snap at either of you, I'm just..."

Bob patted her on the shoulder, leaning against the Command.COM to hopefully led her some strength. "We all feel that way, Dot. I'm just glad Little Enzo isn't here, he deserves to be to have a nice, long nap after everything he's been through."

Yes, if there was any silver lining to his entire horrid situation it was that the youngest Matrix and Welman Matrix/Nibbles-Bot -honestly, Bob was still confused by that entire situation- had both been saved and were now recovering in the Principal Office being looked after by Mouse and Ray. Both had a handful of, thankfully minor, injuries and would heal without much issue.

The things they had seen, though, those would probably stick around for a while.

*******

_Bob ducked under the swipe aimed at his neck from a particularly nasty praying mantis looking virus and threw himself into a roll, putting some distance between him and his opponent._

_"Glitch, B-"_

_**SLQUASH!** _

_The blade of a katana sliced straight through the virus neck and it was instantly deleted, revealing the disheveled form of Mouse. The sight of his old friend nearly brought the young Guardian to tears, even if she was panting and had blood running down her left side from a nasty gash in her shoulder._

_"Bob, thank the User!" the hacker program explained. "We've been looking for you ever since we got separated. I was starting to worry..."_

_"Never mind me," he shook his head. "Where is everyone else?"_

_"Dot is safe," Mouse said automatically. "She is organizing the defense forces, trying to establish a frontline and get the civilians to safety."_

_Knowing that lifted some of the weight off of Bob's chest, even if just a little bit. "What about everyone else? AndrAIa? Matrix? Ray?"_

_"AndrAIa took Frisket and they're heading toward the access portal, they're going to try and close it to stop more virus from getting through."_

_A sharp sting of fear shot through Bob but he forced it down; the Game Sprite and the feral junkyard pooch were viciously strong and skilled in combat, they'd be fine. But that left..._

_"What about Matrix?"_

_Mouse's sharp intake of breath told Bob just about everything he needed to know what she said next was worse than anything he could have possibly imagined. Swallowing hard, the hacker program could barely meet his eye when she said, "Matrix had Ray fly him over to the Principal Office, says he is going to deal with the root of the problem. Bob, honey, he is going after Megabyte."_

*******

"I know, I know," she sighed. "I just wish-"

_WHOOSH!_

Dot was cut off by the doors to the surgery wing swinging open and everyone jumped to their feet -well, sort of, Phong was already 'standing'- as the head surgeon sprite, one of the few left in Mainframe, came to greet them. 

The surgeon pulled the mask from his face, "Enzo Matrix is stable."

"Oh, thank the User," Dot gasped, tears finally coming as she half-collapsed against Bob, who wrapped her up in her arms. 

Bob let out a relieved sigh, one echoed by Phong, as AndrAIa spoke up, stepping towards the surgeon. "Can I... can _we_ see him, Dr...?"

 _'Thanks for including us, AndrAIa,'_ Bob couldn't help but wryly think as he soothingly rubbed Dot's back.

"Dr. Patch," the sprite informed automatically before a nervous look crossed his face and he shifted nervously. "The patient is still unconscious but one at a time, short visits only."

Just as they all started to offer to go first, Dr. Patch cut them off and continued, "But first you all need to prepare yourselves, the injuries Mr. Matrix sustained were... extensive."

Silence. Bob's stomach dropped; he knew this, of course, he'd been the one to find Matrix and bring him to the hospital but hearing it meant he couldn't pretend it just looked worse than it was. Eventually, Phong cleared his throat, "How extensive are we talking about, Doctor?"

Dr. Patch took a deep breath and put on a carefully calm voice, "There are extensive lacerations on his upper chest. His right ankle is broken, as are several of his ribs. We had to pop four of his fingers back in place. There are several minor factors in his skull. His cybernetic eye was also destroyed, we removed the shards and it will need to be replaced. And..."

Ominously, he trailed off, looking down. 

"And?" Bob prompted.

The surgeon swallowed hard, "And we had to amputate his left arm."

Those words hit the Guardian so hard that he couldn't even hear Dot begin to sob.

***

_**'I have to stop Enzo before he makes the biggest mistake of this life,'** Bob thought desperately as he kicked an infected binome out of the Principal Office's main elevator, slamming his fist down on the 'up' button. _

_As the elevator started to ascend, Bob couldn't help but collapse back against the wall and try to catch his breath. It felt like it had taken an eternity to even make it to the Principal Office, let alone fight his way inside. Glitch had been stretched to his absolute limits and Bob wasn't that far behind. He just hoped he wasn't too late, that there was still time to stop Enzo from making a big mistake._

**_Cra-cra-crack!_ **

_As if the User himself had heard Bob's plea, Glitch's communicator function cracked to life -looking back, he would suppose the communications blackout that Megabyte had blanketed the city with didn't work within the Principal Office because the virus still needed to be able to communicate with his own forces- as it connected with Matrix's._

_"Enzo! Enzo!" he shouted desperately into the device. Then, after getting no response, yelled again. "Matrix!"_

_._  
_._  
_._

_Finally, through heavy static, came a nearly inaudible, "Bob?"_

_"Enzo, thank the User!" the Guardian sighed. "Where are you?"_

_"Top floor of the Principal Office, got a straight shot to Megabyte. I'm going to take him out right now!"_

_Bob when cold, "Nononono! Listen, I'm in the building and on my way up! Please, just wait until I get there, and then we can think of a plan!" the Guardian pleaded._

_"I have a plan," Matrix growled over the communicator. "Fine Megabyte and blast a hole between his fucking eyes."_

_"Just wait for one nano," he begged. "I'll be there soon and I can-"_

_"No can do, Bob; you'll just try to stop me and I already made the mistake of letting him live once, don't plan on making it again."_

_And, with that, the line was cut._

*******

For an achingly long time, there was silence in the hall that was disturbed only but the sobs Dot was doing her best to muffle. No one knew what to say... After all, what do you say in a situation like this? What do you say when the little sprite who used to follow you around like a puppy was so madly injured in a fight that he had to get his arm removed?

Bob certainly didn't know, that wasn't something even covered in his training. 

AndrAIa seemed to have some idea though. "I'll go," she declared. "I need to see Enzo."

Dot wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "No, that isn't necessary. I should go first."

AndrAIa frowned, growing tense, "Why?"

The question seemed to throw Dot. "Because... because I'm his sister, his _family_."

"I'm his lover, have been for years," the Game Sprite shot back with surprising viciousness. "If we want to get technical, I've been by his side longer than you have -fourteen whole cycles."

Dot reeled back as if she'd been slapped, mouth falling open even as no words came. Bob saw the hurt in her eyes and he felt anger rushed over his body as he was overcome by the need to defend the woman he loved. 

"AndrAIa," he snapped, "I get that you're upset but-"

"Oh, forget it," the woman cut him off, turning her back on him and the uncomfortable looking Dr. Patch. "Let me see him."

Her tone left no room for argument so the doctor didn't and just led AndrAIa towards the recovery ward, leaving the rest of them behind. 

*******

_Command Central looked like a war zone; there were holes and blast marks everywhere, a half-dozen small fires, and rubble everywhere. Just looking at it all had Bob's processor nearly jumping right out of his chest and every possible worst-case scenario shot through his head all at once. He moved through the mess with Glitch raised and ready to blast the first thing that moved. He crept around a corner and his jaw dropped at what he saw._

_There on the floor, half shot apart, was Megabyte._

_"User!" he gasped, dropping to his knees beside the virus. Usually, he wouldn't have risked getting so close but, seeing as Megabyte no longer had any limbs, doubted there was any real danger. "What happened?"_

_The virus rolled his eyes, "The more accurate question would be -Who happened?"_

_"Matrix."_

_It wasn't a question._

_"Obviously," Megabyte drawled, even as he grimaced with pain. Then, surprising, he gives a dark, hollow-sounding loud. "It's amusing, you know? In the end, I didn't win... but neither did you. No, in the end, it was the loudmouth little sprite I never paid much consideration to who achieved victory. Why, I actually feel quite proud."_

_Pausing from his scanning of the virus' damaged body, Bob frowned, "Proud? Why would you feel proud? Matrix kicked the crap of you... twice!"_

_"Exactly, I made him strong," Megabyte said, staring Bob dead in the eye with a sadistic grin on his face. "For all your tenacity, wit, and training, you failed. For all Lovely Dot's intelligence, planning, and protective instinct, she failed. But me? I won. So, in the end, young Enzo Matrix realized that his childhood heroes were weak and he had to become like me if he ever wanted to succeed; he had to become strong and he had to become ruthless. So he did. I suppose, in the end, even in my deletion, I have still achieved victory in that respect."_

_"You don't know what you're talking about," Bob snarled. "And you're not going to be deleted. There is enough of your code intact that I can fix it, I can reformat you into a-"_

_"Stop!" Megabyte commanded. "If you have any mercy within you, Guardian, then let me meet my end as I am. To be unmade, to have the core of my very being undone, to lose my purpose... I can't imagine anything worse."_

_"After everything you've done to my friends, you don't get to put that on me, Megabyte," the Guardian replied. Then he added bitterly, "And besides, I can't go against my programming."_

_Megabyte rolled his eyes, "Of course you can, Bob, but you're self-righteous enough to believe otherwise. Oh, well, if you're so set on adhering to that Guardian protocol of your then you should know that our dear Matrix is in desperate need of some mending."_

_"What do you mean?" Bob demanded, growing pale. "What did you do to him?"_

_"It was a good fight, both opponents drew their fair share of blood," the virus said simply, even as smugness oozed from every word. "Oh, and I've set this building to self-destruct. I suppose we have about... two nanoseconds left. You better hurry, Guardian."_

_Bob swore at Megabyte, finally spewing every bit of anger and hatred he'd ever felt towards the virus out in one instant. Then the Guardian stood and left his old enemy to be deleted, only hoping he had enough to find and save Matrix before the building went down._

*******

The little group watched silently as the doctor and AndrAIa walked away, soon disappearing from sight. Before long, Dot let out a choked, "This isn't fair."

Bob tightened his grip around her shoulders and Phong patted the lady sprite's hand comfortingly. "Life rarely is, child," he said, not unkindly, "but we must take comfort in the knowledge Enzo will survive this."

 _'Will he?'_ Bob couldn't help but think. Megabyte's final act had ensured the Hunt was on but now it was over; Matrix had ensured that. But what was the cost? 

* * *

Next Chapter: Recovery is hard, harder still if the person needing it refuses to accept help.


	8. Bittersweet Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovery is hard, harder still if the person needing it refuses to accept help.

Nanosecond—minute

Second – hour

Minute – day

Hour – Month

Cycle - Year

* * *

Bob grabbed the handle of Matrix's recovery room, went to turn it... and then stepped back, having lost all of his courage. He'd been standing here for a good thirty nanoseconds, trying to work up the strength to go in and actually talk to his friend. This hadn't been so difficult in his head; when Bob woke up this morning, his plan was to bring over a couple of coffees and hang around for a nice chat, just to try to get a feel for where the Renegade's mind was. 

But, User, now that he was actually here it was too damn hard! It was one thing to know the state Enzo was in, and it was one thing to have even seen the damage while his friend was still unconscious, but it would be another to have to see and talk to Matrix while he was awake. Could Bob really just sit there and pretend everything was fine while trying not to stare at the empty space where his friend's left arm was supposed to be?

_ 'It's not a matter of 'can I' do something,' _ Bob reminded himself sternly.  _ 'I have to do this. I'm the one responsible for Enzo ending up like this; I have to take responsibility and be there for him.' _

With the mental scolding, the Guardian took a deep breath. He straightened up, readjusted his grip on the coffees, and knocked on the door. 

A moment passed, and Bob would hear a grunt followed by some muffled swears and the rustling of fabric. "COME IN!"

Bob didn't let himself hesitate and immediately pushed the door open. 

"You better not be here to stick me with anymore damn- Oh! Hey, Bob," Matrix said, face shifting from an annoyed scowl and to... well, it wasn't a smile, but his face did relax as he settled back into his inclined, adjustable hospital bed. 

"Hey, En- Matrix," Bob forced a smile, holding out a coffee. "Brought you something. Dot mentioned you weren't too happy with the food here."

The Renegade snorted, taking the cup, "The food is fine -I've had worse plenty of times- it's all this sitting on my ass that is getting to me. Thanks for the coffee... but I don't suppose you snuck anything harder for me in?"

"No, sorry," Bob shook his head with a stiff chuckle while fighting back the urge to wince at the question.  _ 'Please, kid, tell me what I can do to stop you from drinking? What can I say to stop you from being so angry all the time? What can I say to make you whole again?' _

Nothing came to mind, so he just pressed on with a, "Try not to give the docs too much trouble, eh, Pal? They can't be that bad." 

That just got in another snort, "Patch is alright, I guess, but the rest keep trying to force all these painkillers on me."

"Well, they're just trying to help you, and I'm sure the doctors know best so maybe you should take them."

"Nah, I don't like the way they make me feel," Matrix shook his head. "Dull my reaction time off and all of that."

_ 'You're in recovery,'  _ Bob thought sadly,  _ 'You don't need to be sharp or alert, you just need to relax.' _

But he couldn't bring himself to say it; in fact, horrible as it was, Bob could barely bring himself to look at Enzo. The Renegade was healing well, far faster than any of the doctors had predicted, but that didn't change the fact that his right eye was covered by a thick pad of gauze. It didn't change that there were splints on the majority of his... remaining fingers that matched his splinted right ankle, and his entire torso was wrapped up tight beneath the thin hospital shirt so as not to irritate his ribs or chest lacerations. Basically, Matrix looked as if he'd been forced through a data shredder. 

Bob could have dealt with all of that though, could have overlooked it; he could have pretended they were just a couple of relatively minor injuries that happened to occur at the same time.

If it weren't for the painful, obvious elephant in the room -Enzo's missing arm.

The limb had been amputated cleanly beneath the shoulder before being painstakingly stitched up by surgeons and carefully bandaged by attending nurses. The missing right arm was glaringly conspicuous in its absence and something that both repulsed and drew Bob's gaze, though he tried not to make it obvious. 

He clearly wasn't doing a very good job at that though, because Matrix easily followed his life of sight and the Renegade gave an awkward fake cough, "It doesn't hurt, not really. It just kind of itches."

.

.

.

"Bob? Bob?" 

The Guardian blinked, shaking himself to attention. Venturing out, he offered a simple, "That's... good." 

"Yeah, I mean, I'm sure it'll hurt eventually -phantom limb pain and all that," the Renegade continued, seeming far less bothered than he should be. "Honestly, only having one eye again is worse. My depth perception is off, and I keep bumping into things whenever I walk around."

"You're walking around?" Bob cut in, eyebrows shooting up and nodding toward the ankle brace.

"I've got to move around at least a little bit or I'll end up punching someone," Matrix growled, his entire muscular body rolling in one smooth flexing motion. "Anyway, it's not that big of a deal. I spent my first two cycles in the Games without an eye and managed just fine; give me some time and I'll adjust."

Bob finally managed to force himself down into one of the slippery, uncomfortable armchairs by his friend's bedside. "You know, there isn't a rush to get...  _ battle-ready _ . The city is still repairing, there isn't anyone to fight or protect."

"The games are still coming, aren't they?" the larger sprite grunted, eyes...  _ eye  _ narrowing. "I can't just sit on my ass getting fat, lazy, and rusty. I need to stay sharp; I need to stay vigilant. Patch is coming by tomorrow with a replacement for my eye and some sample prosthetics for my arm. He says I'll need a few week-cycles of physical therapy to make sure everything is healed and calibrated right, but then I'll be back better than ever."

Bob heard himself sigh before he realized he was actually doing it. "I just think that-"

"Just leave it, Bob!" Matrix snapped. "It's my body and my choice! Besides, I don't remember asking for your opinion about anything!"

_ 'No... you didn't. You never do anymore,'  _ the Guardian thought bitterly. Annoyance bubbling up, Bob gritted his teeth, "Maybe... but that doesn't change the fact that I still care about you, Enzo! So why would you let me?"

.

.

.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Renegade denied, turning away to look out the window. 

“Oh, no, I'm not letting you run away from this conversation again!" Bob growled, storming over back into Matrix's line of sight. Grabbing hold of him by the sprite's broad, muscular shoulders, he forced Enzo to look him in the eye. "Look, I get what happened was... bad, but-"

"Bad?" Matrix huffed bitterly, trying to pull away.

The Guardian tightened his grip "It was awful, I can't imagine how bad it was! And I get that you probably blame me for it, but, Enzo, you can't keep going on like this! Hate me if you have to! Yell, scream, hit me! I don't care but, for the User's sake, you need to find a way to let go of all this anger and pain!"

Matrix growled, "Alright, you want to hear the truth, Bob? I-"

**_ Woosh! _ **

The door to the room swung open, drawing both men's attention, as AndrAIa slipped into the room, a tray of food balanced in her hands. 

"Good news, Sparky, I managed to snag us some-" her voice trailed off as she spotted Bob. The Guardian watched as AndrAIa's eyes widened in shock before narrowing with a hard set mouth. Bob's stomach sunk; AndrAIa's expression hammered home the realization that he wasn't welcome here. 

The appearance of the Game Sprite immediately shut down the brewing argument between the two young men. Matrix's jaw snapped shut and he pulled himself away from Bob but forced a small smile for his girlfriend. 

"Hey, Babe," he rasped. "Got anything good for lunch?"

The question seemed to shake AndrAIa out of her annoyance and she smiled adoringly at the Renegade. "Yep, the cafeteria was serving soup today; I managed to score some clam chowder for myself and, for you, a big steaming bowl of beef stew.  _ Yum! _ "

Matrix rolled his... eye and groaned, throwing back his head dramatically. "More soup? The nanosecond I get out of here, I'm going to the nearest barbeque joint and eating them out of ribs."

"Poor baby," AndrAIa cooed jokingly, setting up the little folding table that was attached to Matrix's hospital bed and arranging the bowl of soup, bread rolls, fruit cup, and water bottle on it. "Now, eat your soup like a good boy while I talk to Bob."

"Huh, what?"

Bob could only blink in confusion as AndrAIa grabbed him by the upper arm and hauled him out of the room into the hospital hallway. She tugged him far enough away so that any conversation they had would not be overheard by Matrix before stopping and whirling around on Bob.

"You can't be here!" she snapped. "I don't want you messing with Matrix's head, not now!"

"Mess with his head?" Bob sputtered, trying to wrap his head around what had just been said to him. "I'm trying to  _ help  _ Enzo. He needs rest and healing, not that he seems to understand that!"

"Of course he does, but he doesn't need to hear your proselytizing. He doesn't need your so-called help," AndrAIa growled back, jabbed her finger into his chest.

_ 'So-called? What the... _ ' Confused and in desperation, Bob gently took the Game Sprite by the shoulders, "AndrAIa, what is going on with you? I know what happened is terrible but the two of us have always had a good relationship so I can't understand  _ why  _ you're angry with me."

**_ SLAP! _ **

The Guardian's head jerked to the side at the force of the slap.

"You don't understand?" AndrAIa spat, pulling herself away. "User, Bob, you don't understand how learning you had a hand in Megabyte coming to Mainframe could change how people feel about you? How  _ I _ see you? How  _ Matrix  _ sees you?"

Bob flinched hard. 

Megabyte had relished greatly in revealing Bob's and the incident with Dixon Green that helped to bring him to the city. The reactions from everyone had been... harsh. And while that was to be expected -he was still surprised that Dot hadn't dumped him- it didn't mean that getting the cold shoulder from the people he loved hurt any less.

_ 'If I could go back, if I could change what happened, how much would I do differently?'  _ Bob thought mournfully to himself. He still believed that viruses could be saved, especially now that he had seen it himself with Hexadecimal, but considering all the horrors Megabyte had reaped onto Mainframe...

_ 'No,'  _ he mentally shook himself. _ 'I have to stand by my convictions, even if no one else agrees with them.' _

"Look, I will never forgive myself for all the destruction cause but I just want to help you all," Bob pleaded. "Enzo... he is really suffering, in more ways than just once, and recovery is hard, harder still if the person needing it refuses to accept help. You and I both know he'll push his body until it breaks down. We need to convince him to rest, to heal. I share... so much of the blame for what happened to Enzo and I want... I  _ need  _ to help him. Why won't you let me?

AndrAIa just gave him a painful look and stepped back, shaking her head. "Not everyone needs you, Bob. Not Matrix, not me, and definitely not..."

She trailed off then, looking away.

"Definitely not, who?" Bob questioned, concern and curiosity turning over in his mind. 

The Game Spite said nothing but the way her hands curled protectively over her stomach spoke volumes. 

Feeling like he'd been punched in the gut, Bob sucked in a breath, "User, AndrAIa, you're... you're downloading a baby. You and Enzo, you're going to be parents! Does Enzo-"

"Sparky loves you, Bob," she said, slow and sad. "He loves you and he hates you and admires you and resents you. And I know you love him too but you're no good for him right now. He  _ agonizes  _ over those conflicting emotions, of wanting you to be proud of him and thinking you're an idiot, and it's going to destroy him if I let it. I can't let that happen, especially not now."

AndrAIa looked at him and there was no anger left in her eyes, only pain and regret and desperation. "The little sprite you knew and loved is gone, Bob. The kid who followed you around like a puppy is gone and he is never coming back no matter how much any of us wish it; the Games chewed him up and spat him out and all that is left is the remains. But it is those remains that _ I _ love and that I  _ need  _ to survive. So, I'm,  _ begging  _ you, Bob, please, let the Enzo you knew and loved go. For everyone's sake."

.

.

.

"I can't do that, AndrAIa," Bob whispered, shaking his head. "I can't just  _ give up _ on someone I love, especially not when they're hurting."

He turned then and began walking away; not to go back to Matrix's hospital room, though, and Bob wasn't sure when... or even if he'd ever feel comfortable going back. No, he wasn't sure where he was planning on going but, before he got far, Bob heard one last choked line from AndrAIa.

"But you don't love this version of Enzo, Bob, and I'm not sure you ever will be able to."

* * *

Seconds later, it had cycled to night and the hospital was quiet, it's lights dimmed and its hallways mostly empty. Bob's footsteps echoed as he got closer and closer to Matrix's recovery room. He'd spent the last few seconds doing... User, he wasn't even sure. He had probably just been wandering the building, a million different thoughts turning over in his mind as he tried to process everything AndrAIa had said, and hadn't said, to him.

_ 'The kid is going to have a kid of his own soon,' _ he mused.  _ 'Dot is going to flip when she hears this. And Lil' Enzo, he is going to be a... old brother? Uncle? User, that entire thing is confusing. Still, I bet the kiddo will be cute; I'll have to teach it-' _

Bob froze. Would he even be allowed in the child's life? AndrAIa made her thoughts on him being near Matrix very clear, so there was no reason to believe she'd want him around their child. 

The thought of being blocked out of that little family nearly broke something inside of him. So long ago, Bob had hoped he'd get to see Enzo grow up big and strong, that he'd get to see Enzo go to the Academy and be a full-fledged Guardian. To be completely shut out of Enzo's life... the idea was heartbreaking. 

For some reason, it was easier to open the door to the hospital room this time. And, as he did so, a thin stream of dim light from the hallway cut through the darkness of the room and fell across Enzo's sleepy face. 

The sight of the sleeping young Renegade almost had Bob backing out of the room but then Matrix's remaining eye cracked up and he froze.

The two stared at one another, neither breathing, until Bob eventually croaked out a single, "Hi."

"Hey," Enzo blinked. Then he jerked his head, "Come in."

Bob took the invitation and stepped inside, letting the door fall shut. He didn't approach the bed though, feeling as if every step he took to close the physical distance would only widen the emotional distance between the two of them. 

It was silent, the only sounds being made by the beeping of the various hospital machines Enzo was hooked up to and the soft, sleepy breathing of AndrAIa from where she slept curled up beside Matrix on the hospital bed.

"So I'm guessing AndrAIa told you about everything?" Enzo whispered, mindful of his sleeping lover. 

"She... she told me enough," Bob nodded. "I- is that what you really want, Enzo? For me to leave you alone, to let you just suffer?"

Matrix's face twisted with pain and anger. "I don't know," he eventually admitted. "Bob, I look at you and I see my childhood hero... but I look and also see someone who has a hand in destroying so much that I care about. And I... and I just **_ don't know! _ ** "

Bob winched at the hurt and the loss in his friend's voice. 

Still, he gave an understanding nod, "Yeah, I understand why you're hurt, En- Matrix, but I'm still the same guy I've always been; I'm still the same guy who took you to play jet ball and circuit racing. You've got to understand, Megabyte revealed what he did to throw all of us, to get in everyone's head. He wasn't strong enough to face us as a unit so be needed to divide us."

"But he was right, wasn't he?" Enzo pressed. "He was telling the truth, wasn't he? You had the chance to destroy Megabyte, or... whatever he was at the time, but you didn't! And for  _ what? _ An experiment? Is that what we all were to you, an  _ experiment? _ "

"NO!" Bob shouted, horrified by the very thought. "No, it was never like that! You guys are my family! I made... a lot of mistakes, I'll admit that, but I never did anything to intentionally hurt any of you! And I know you won't agree but I stand by my stance that immediate deletion of viruses is not the way to go." 

"How can you still say that?" the Renegade demanded. 

"Because I've seen that they can be rehabilitated," the Guardian replied earnestly, "and you have too."

"Hexadecimal? Come on, Bob, she took on Daemon for _you_ , not for the good of the net," Matrix rolled his eye. "And she was just one virus, one out of hundreds, out of **_ thousands!  _ ** She proves nothing!"

"But-"

" _ Ennnzzz... _ " AndrAIa grumbled, turning over in her sleep and snuffling into Matrix's chest. Both men froze and watched the Game Sprite settled back into her dreams. 

Once her breathing had even again, Enzo turned to give Bob a hard, but tired look. "You should go, Bob."

We'll never agree. We'll never be like we used to. We'll never be the same.

Bob could hear the subtext loud and clear.

"Enzo, _ please! _ I-"

His old friend turned away, "It's late, Bob. I should get some rest."

.

.

.

"Alright," the Guardian whispered, head hung but already reaching for the hospital room door. "I understand."

* * *

Bob had passed every class in the Academy with flying colors. He graduated with the highest of Honors. Everyone had expected great things out of him.

But he couldn't mend his broken friend.

He hadn't defended him from harm. 

He had failed. 

_ 'I am so sorry.' _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... so not happy endings here. Even as a little kid, I remember finishing the series believing there would always be a distance between Bob and Matrix, that they'd never truly be able to mend their relationship. After re-watching the series as an adult, I believe that even more.


End file.
